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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: clip · last · branch · bowl · firm · spring · net · bear

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — of water
  3. last — to go on
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. net — in sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — finally
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — decided
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — a division
  18. spring — a coil
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — to roll

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