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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — after costs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. present — the time now
  20. roll — a list
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — in football
  24. bass — the instrument

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