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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 120 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: hide · chip · branch · firm · capital · bass · lash · sharp

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. firm — decided
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — a company
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — a city
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — a division
  24. hide — to keep secret

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