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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — a division
  3. roll — a cake
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — the fruit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. court — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — a friend

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