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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — for paper
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — a video
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. object — a thing
  24. clip — to cut

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