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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 120 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 · bear · spring · fan · can · stick · bank · craft

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — boats
  7. spring — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — a division
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — of a tree

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