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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. row — to paddle
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. row — a line
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. shower — rain
  16. spell — magic
  17. tube — the underground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  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