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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bank — of a river
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — a measure
  8. shower — rain
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spring — a coil
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — of water
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — to roll

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