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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. clip — for paper
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — the season
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. clip — to cut
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. clip — a video
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — in music

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