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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bark — to shout

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