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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: swing · net · club · branch · rock · mate · shower · lie

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — a friend
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — for golf
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — a group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. net — for catching
  24. branch — a division

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