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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: key · bass · branch · mate · calf · can · staff · hide

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a partner
  8. key — in music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — the most important part

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