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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · stick · rush · roll · fan · branch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a list
  12. branch — a division
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — to hurry

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