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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — final
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. drill — a practice
  7. last — finally
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — to come down
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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