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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pop — soda
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a grade
  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