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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: branch · kid · bass · rash · cell · leaves · rock · saw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. kid — child
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — in a prison

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