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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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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: lash · branch · arm · deal · stand · fork · bass · wave

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the fish
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. branch — a division
  24. stand — to bear

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