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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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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. branch — a division
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — there
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. present — a gift
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. can — a tin

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