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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: shower · bass · can · fine · cabinet · branch · clip · bat

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — rain
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bat — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bass — low music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — to be able to
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fine — high quality
  24. shower — to wash

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