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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 116 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: saw · spring · cabinet · track · spell · sharp · branch · bank

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spring — of water
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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