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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. season — in sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. court — of law
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. court — for sport

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