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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — music
  15. last — final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — to go on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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