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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · arm · pound · mine · game · branch · lie · spring

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spring — the season
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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