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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chest — of your body
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pass — a permit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chest — a box
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bay — a horse colour

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