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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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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: foot · pass · spring · wake · branch · mug · band · saw

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. band — a music group
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a face
  10. spring — of water
  11. foot — a measure
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mug — a cup
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. pass — to spend time

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