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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: saw · fan · row · mug · board · branch · band · swing

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mug — to rob
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a music group

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