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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: bass · ruler · branch · plane · row · rush · shower · racket

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bass — the fish
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. branch — a division
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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