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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: arm · branch · lie · wave · bass · lean · ball · date

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — the fish

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