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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — temperature
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bass — the fish

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