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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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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 · face · ground · lie · branch · shower · rush · lash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — a position
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — to confront
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ground — the earth

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