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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — shares
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rock — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — to cool the air

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