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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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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: branch · mate · nail · pit · suit · cell · season · chest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. season — of the year
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cell — a phone
  23. branch — of a tree
  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