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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
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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: spell · branch · lie · pit · bass · rule · fan · net

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rule — a law
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rule — government
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — magic
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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