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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: firm · march · nail · bass · mate · branch · shower · hide

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — steady
  11. bass — low music
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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