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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. toast — bread
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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