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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — an aim
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. object — a thing
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — to protest

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