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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · wound · ruler · bass · branch · wave · ball · shower

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bass — low music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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