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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. shower — to wash
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — a division
  13. shower — rain
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. present — the time now
  18. mug — a face
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — there

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