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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. row — to paddle
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for golf

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