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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 120 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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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: chest · game · staff · branch · wave · pass · season · ground

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. game — a match
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. season — in sport
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ground — a position
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — the earth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — of the year
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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