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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: bore · branch · wave · bear · mate · bank · stick · court

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of a king
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — to breed
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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