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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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468
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: bass · lash · deal · lie · bark · wound · branch · cap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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