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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — to go on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. last — final
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — hurry
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — to rule out

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