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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — thin
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — music
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — a division

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