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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: branch · fall · band · pass · game · rush · mug · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fall — the season
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — a stone

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