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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: wind · last · stem · bark · key · bowl · bank · branch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — a division
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. last — finally
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — final
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. last — to go on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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