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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  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