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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a face
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mug — a cup
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a ring

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