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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: bass · racket · drill · lash · shower · net · branch · pass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. net — after costs
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — a practice
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — to lash out

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