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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ball — a great time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — of the year

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