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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chair — a leader
  11. season — in sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — exactly

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