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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: saw · bass · nail · march · last · charge · branch · swing

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — final
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — music
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — to go on
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — music
  24. branch — of a bank

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