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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stock — goods
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bore — to drill

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