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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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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 · branch · date · bore · staff · spring · land · arm

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — a coil
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — to tire
  21. branch — a division
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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