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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: last · cap · perch · branch · stick · staff · bound · rock

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. last — to go on
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. staff — a stick
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. branch — of a tree

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