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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — a soup base

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