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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. row — a line
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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