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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: bank · march · toast · stem · swing · present · fan · branch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. toast — bread
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. swing — to play on
  13. present — there
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — the time now
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. swing — music
  23. march — music
  24. bank — for money

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