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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 120 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: rush · branch · pitcher · chest · bay · net · object · bear

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. net — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. net — for catching
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — after costs
  24. object — to protest

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