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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — to come down
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rock — music
  10. land — ground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. degree — temperature
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. degree — from a university

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