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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: sharp · roll · rush · clip · coach · bass · branch · straw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. clip — a video
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — for paper
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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