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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — a country
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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