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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — of a river
  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