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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · hide · mug · bass · stick · club · firm · branch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — decided
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — a group
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. club — for golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — steady
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — for dancing

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