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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 116 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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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. firm — decided
  10. band — a music group
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. board — a committee
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — to get on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — a series
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — a division

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