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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: mine · scale · wake · branch · leaves · game · lean · cell

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. scale — size or range
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — thin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cell — in biology
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. scale — in music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — wild animals

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