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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: perch · branch · rash · foot · bear · bank · spring · race

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. race — humankind
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — the arms race
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spring — a coil
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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