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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.

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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. band — a music group
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a ring
  14. rock — music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — low music

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