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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 120 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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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: branch · bank · shower · cap · swing · dip · deal · fan

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bank — of a river

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