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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — help
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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