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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — in a road
  18. track — a song
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — a division

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