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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — government
  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