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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: last · season · stick · wave · firm · mine · branch · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. season — of the year
  9. last — final
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — finally
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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