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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. bank — of a river

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