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

Word bank: bank · branch · bound · firm · spring · perch · season · straw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — of the year
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — decided
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. perch — for a bird

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