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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — low music
  23. wake — a trail
  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