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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 116 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: hide · pass · spell · leaves · mate · branch · club · present

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mate — to breed
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spell — magic

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