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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: lie · pass · branch · bass · scale · spring · net · kick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spring — the season
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — after costs
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — in sport

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