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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bank — for money
  16. club — a group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  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