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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — for digging
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a bank

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