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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: pound · bass · lash · drill · branch · mug · press · bear

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a cup
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — army training
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. drill — a practice

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