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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — a price
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. band — a ring
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. season — of the year

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