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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 · lie · wave · staff · present · branch · trunk · bore

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bass — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. present — a gift
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wave — with your hand

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