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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — to go on
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. last — final
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. coach — a trainer

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