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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chest — a box
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. saw — the tool

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