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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: club · branch · swing · calf · saw · ruler · mine · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mine — for digging
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. club — a group
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — a division
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — for golf
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — belonging to me

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