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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — certain
  9. ball — a great time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ball — a dance
  19. swing — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spring — the season
  24. swing — in golf

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