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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — a gift
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — there
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — to breed
  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