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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — in control
  10. bound — certain
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — tied together
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — help

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