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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — crushed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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