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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: bank · saw · branch · mouse · season · chest · tube · mate

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chest — a box
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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