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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. land — ground
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mark — a trace

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