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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. last — to go on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — final
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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