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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.

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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: leaves · ground · chest · cabinet · staff · branch · wave · wake

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chest — of your body

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