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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — to shout
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. land — a country

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