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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — for dancing
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — to breed

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