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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bass — the fish
  3. file — a line of people
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — for a bird

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