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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — there
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — child
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — a division
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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