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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — to paddle
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — a division
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — to handle

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