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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — clever

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