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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kid — child
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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