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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stem — to come from
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the animal

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