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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: spring · branch · fan · date · game · hide · track · bass

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. game — a match
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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