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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — to breed
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — of the sea

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