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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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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: bank · pass · bat · firm · spring · bear · staff · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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