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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — for dancing

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