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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: bass · scale · wake · shower · dip · stand · bore · branch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — to wash
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bore — to tire
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bore — gave birth
  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