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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — in sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. rest — a break
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — a stick
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — of the sea

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