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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — to visit
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a document

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