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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 116 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: can · mark · hand · trunk · perch · branch · leaves · stock

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — a trace
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — shares
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — goods

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