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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a dance
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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