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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — hurry
  14. capital — a city
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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