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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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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: suit · wave · wind · mark · bass · net · branch · shower

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — to wash
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — low music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — for catching

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