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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. march — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — decided
  21. shower — to wash
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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