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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — a division
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. scale — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chip — for betting
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — to eat
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. scale — size or range
  24. branch — of a tree

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