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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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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: rash · bank · branch · wave · club · mate · clip · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — clothes
  4. club — for dancing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mate — a partner
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rash — a series
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. club — a group
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — for golf

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