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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: dip · last · bowl · straw · branch · swing · leaves · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — to go on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. branch — a division
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — low music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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