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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — help
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  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