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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · leaves · fall · branch · degree · march · bank · arm

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. march — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — from a university
  22. march — the month
  23. degree — temperature
  24. march — the month

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