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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 124 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — of your body
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — a box
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — to fit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — for sport
  23. suit — clothes
  24. field — a subject

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