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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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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 · cell · wind · firm · branch · cue · deal · trunk

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — low music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — a company
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — a division
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. firm — steady
  24. wind — moving air

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