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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — letters
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — magic
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. branch — a division
  20. tube — a container
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — a trail
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a friend

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