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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — a division
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. plane — a tool

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