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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 · chip · branch · rash · mouse · safe · bound · bass

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bound — certain
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — tied together
  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