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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.

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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: branch · bass · hide · swing · file · firm · charge · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — decided
  4. file — a line of people
  5. firm — steady
  6. swing — in golf
  7. firm — a company
  8. charge — electricity
  9. branch — a division
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — to keep secret

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