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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: leaves · spring · key · swing · patient · march · branch · bank

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bank — of a river
  3. swing — music
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — for a lock
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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