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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: rash · march · wave · dip · mate · bound · branch · suit

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rash — hasty
  10. suit — clothes
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — tied together
  15. march — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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