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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 120 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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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: fan · branch · rush · board · wound · lash · content · bass

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. board — to get on
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — happy
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the fish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — a flat piece

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