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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · wound · fall · perch · mug · can · ball · branch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mug — to rob
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — a division
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — the season
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com