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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.

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: bat · tear · bowl · bass · mug · nail · rest · branch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — a break
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mug — a face
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bat — the animal
  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