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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — to shout
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pop — music

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