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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — low music
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chest — a box
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — an aircraft

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