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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: row · object · bank · bark · branch · suit · bear · sharp

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — clever
  20. object — a thing
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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