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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 · deal · cabinet · saw · branch · sharp · row · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a great time
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — of a tree

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