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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — a group
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — music
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — for golf

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