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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bass — low music
  24. hide — animal skin

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