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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cell — a phone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chair — a leader
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. race — humankind
  17. key — in music
  18. race — a contest
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — to shout
  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