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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. charge — in control
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — a price
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — a permit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — the instrument

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