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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.

Words on the sheet
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: branch · spell · lean · wave · fork · bass · rash · stick

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. branch — of a tree

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