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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. club — for golf
  23. bank — for money
  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