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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · leaves · bat · foot · cell · plane · season · branch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — of the year
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — in an idiom

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