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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — a phone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cell — in biology
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — a country
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lash — an eyelash

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