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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: bass · ball · hide · capital · wave · season · sharp · branch

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. capital — a city
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hide — animal skin

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