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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mate — a friend
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — electric
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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