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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: staff · fan · face · branch · net · bank · present · tear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — of a river
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. face — part of the head
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — to rip
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. net — after costs

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