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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — a trail

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