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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: tube · spring · deal · branch · arm · bear · perch · drill

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — the underground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. deal — to handle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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