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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. swing — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — a division
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bound — certain
  24. wake — before a funeral

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