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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. band — a ring
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — to come down
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a music group

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