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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. net — for catching
  7. swing — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — the fish
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. net — in sport
  19. swing — in golf
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — lets stay

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