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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — in sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — after costs
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — for catching

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