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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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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — clothes
  5. present — the time now
  6. bank — of a river
  7. present — a gift
  8. bound — certain
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. present — there
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — tied together
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. branch — of a tree

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