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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — a video
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pass — a permit
  24. clip — to cut

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