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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: branch · perch · bound · bear · shower · board · arm · drill

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a committee
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — to get on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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