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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 · present · band · court · branch · lie · bank · stick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — there
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a music group

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