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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. shower — rain
  17. net — for catching
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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