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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · season · row · branch · swing · safe · bank · mouse

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. swing — in golf
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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