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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: mark · fan · bass · clip · bark · calf · rock · branch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. clip — a video
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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