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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · rush · pit · bass · branch · board · chest · bowl

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chest — a box
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — the fish

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