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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — of water
  8. present — there
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spring — the season
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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