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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — low music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. branch — 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