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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: branch · fall · spring · band · bear · can · foot · net

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — a measure
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a ring
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — a division
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. band — a music group

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