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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — a division
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bat — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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