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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — rain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — of water
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for golf
  15. spring — the season
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rest — what's left

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