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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spring — the season
  6. press — newspapers
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. press — to push
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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