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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — a division

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