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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · branch · bank · prune · chest · object · file · bear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — a thing
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chest — a box
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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