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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. row — a line
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. season — in sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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