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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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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: bank · hide · rush · branch · bear · pop · bore · swing

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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