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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a list
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — wild animals
  19. last — final
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — to recline
  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