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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: mark · bass · temple · staff · wind · board · branch · spring

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — a coil
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wind — moving air
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — a division
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — of water

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