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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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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: club · chest · lie · leaves · branch · pass · rash · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — a division
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — a group
  24. cell — in a prison

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