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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: bay · bank · last · squash · row · hand · bear · branch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a line
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. last — finally
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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