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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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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — the sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — for money

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