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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — for catching
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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