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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: bay · branch · land · bank · root · hide · fine · clip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — a division
  6. clip — a video
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — the cause
  17. land — a country
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — of a river

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