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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — an illness
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mug — to rob
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mug — a cup

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