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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. squash — to crush
  11. last — final
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — the sport
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a bank

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