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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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