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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. last — final
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. last — to go on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — a division
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — a group
  22. wind — moving air
  23. last — finally
  24. bark — of a tree

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