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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: straw · wake · branch · sharp · track · shower · lean · bass

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — rain
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bass — low music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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