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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bank — of a river
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. shower — rain
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

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