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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: bat · dip · spell · bound · tear · cue · bank · branch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spell — a short time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bound — certain
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — a division
  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