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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: fan · fine · branch · leaves · rule · wave · can · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. fine — all right
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. branch — a division
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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