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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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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: nail · wound · bowl · lean · mark · branch · stock · perch

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — goods
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — for a hammer

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