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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — tied together
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — of water

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