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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · branch · date · bore · staff · spring

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — a coil
  4. branch — a division
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bore — to tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spring — the season

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