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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — certain
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — tied together
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — a sauce

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