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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: bank · rash · wind · last · branch · squash · bass · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — low music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bass — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — of a river
  23. squash — the sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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