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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: bass · nail · date · fan · chair · lie · branch · cabinet

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. branch — a division
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bass — low music
  24. lie — to recline

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