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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. root — of a plant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. root — the cause
  9. scale — in music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a word
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the fish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — a division

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