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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: nail · leaves · rest · branch · cabinet · march · rash · mouse

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. leaves — to go away

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