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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — bread
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — a division
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — the most admired

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