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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 124 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: jam · saw · rash · stand · hide · stem · perch · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — hasty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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