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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. game — a match
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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