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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: ground · branch · shower · bank · row · season · jam · spell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. branch — a division
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — rain
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bank — of a river
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — magic
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — to wash
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ground — the earth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — to add flavour

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