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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cell — in biology
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. land — a country
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — ground
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — army training
  24. land — to come down

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