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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. snap — to click
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bass — low music

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