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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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