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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: leaves · branch · season · mine · bulb · field · wave · ground

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — a subject
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. branch — a division

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