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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.

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: foot · craft · branch · mouse · wave · cap · bass · band

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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