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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: key · tube · bay · snap · fine · branch · bass · spell

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — a container
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — all right
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — the underground

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