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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — low music
  5. club — for golf
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. firm — steady
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bass — the fish

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