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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 · bear · face · mark · net · bass · rash · can

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — for catching
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — low music
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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