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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rash — a series
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. shower — rain
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — letters
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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