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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: wave · staff · club · branch · face · temple · season · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — of the year
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to point toward
  5. club — for golf
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — in golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — a stick
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — part of the head
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. temple — side of the head

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