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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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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: net · branch · file · leaves · degree · rush · hide · fall

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — a division
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fall — the season
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. file — a tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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