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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — to breed
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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