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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · date · swing · bass · leaves · bear · branch · club

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — a group
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a tool
  22. date — the fruit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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