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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: rock · swing · arm · bark · mark · branch · hide · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — music
  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