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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — a division
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a music group
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a hint
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cold — not warm
  24. band — a ring

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