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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · perch · bound · deal · dip · season · mouse · cell

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bound — obliged

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