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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — for dancing
  10. plane — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — there
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. present — a gift
  23. club — for golf
  24. wind — moving air

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