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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a leader
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. perch — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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