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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — rain
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — to wash
  22. deal — to handle
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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