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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cabinet — ministers

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