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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · wave · bass · branch · key · capital · rest · file

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. branch — a division
  13. key — for a lock
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. file — a document
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mine — for digging

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