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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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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: swing · bank · fork · branch · straw · stand · content · shower

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — the amount
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. swing — to play on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — happy
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — a division

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