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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: march · branch · face · season · club · bound · rush · bay

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — part of the head
  9. season — of the year
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — a group
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — hurry
  22. march — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. club — for golf

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