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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. branch — a division
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rash — a series
  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