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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a music group
  11. cell — in biology
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — a division
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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