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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: rest · bass · sharp · fan · rock · mouse · branch · dip

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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