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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — to bend
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bass — low music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a bank

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