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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 · content · tube · bark · rock · land · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. content — happy
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. bark — to shout
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — of a bank

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