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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: foot · saw · bank · branch · row · band · press · swing

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. row — a line
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — to paddle
  24. band — a rubber band

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