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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. object — to protest
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — a video
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mark — a grade
  24. arm — part of the body

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