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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: branch · band · wake · board · bear · tube · net · last

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. net — for catching
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. last — to go on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. board — a committee
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — the animal

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