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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — of a river
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. shower — rain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — the earth
  16. snap — to click
  17. court — of law
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — a position
  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