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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 · mate · perch · lie · drill · wound · can · spell

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. branch — a division
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — army training
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  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