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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.

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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. roll — a list
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — in music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — low music
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hand — help
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. hand — in cards
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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