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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: staff · craft · bound · track · lean · mark · perch · branch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a trace
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. track — a path
  15. bound — certain
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — a division
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — for a bird

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