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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 water is too ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — a skill
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — for light

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