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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — a line
  17. march — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — the fish

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