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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: bank · hide · bass · fall · leaves · branch · field · rest

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — low music
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — a division
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — a subject
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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