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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · branch · rock · fall · bound · perch · mark · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — certain
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — the season
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mark — a trace
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rock — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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