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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — an aim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. object — to protest
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. press — to push
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mate — to breed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — low music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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