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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: mark · spell · toast · lash · perch · present · branch · court

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. present — the time now
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — a gift
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. toast — bread
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — there
  22. spell — a short time
  23. court — of a king
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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