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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. branch — a division
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — humankind
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — a contest
  20. fork — in a road
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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