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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — a law
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rule — government
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. tube — the underground
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — a container
  19. fine — all right
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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