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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. object — to protest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — an aim
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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