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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. hand — help
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — in sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. content — happy
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — the amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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