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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. branch — a division
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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