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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · bank · cue · mine · mate · season · saw · fall

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — in sport
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — a division

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