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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: last · can · bass · drill · wake · bulb · swing · branch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — low music
  24. last — final

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