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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. content — the amount
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — of a river
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. scale — size or range
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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