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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. present — there
  22. bass — the fish
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bass — the instrument

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