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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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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — a law
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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