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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — a match
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — to turn a key

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