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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: row · band · bulb · mark · bank · branch · rash · mate

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a ring

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