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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. march — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — the month
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — a partner

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