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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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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: season · fall · land · snap · file · pit · safe · branch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. land — to come down
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to click
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fall — the season
  24. safe — out of danger

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