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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — rain
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. club — for golf
  11. row — a line
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for dancing
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. row — a quarrel

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