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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 · rock · nail · mark · drill · perch · spring · march

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — of water
  5. drill — army training
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mark — a trace
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. spring — a coil

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