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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — music
  3. last — finally
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — final
  18. pit — in a race
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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