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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fine — all right
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. ground — a position
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — of a tree

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