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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lie — to recline
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — to get on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a car
  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