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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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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: bank · branch · racket · spring · rest · cold · stick · fine

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — a break
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — an illness
  12. branch — a division
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spring — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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