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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: field · cabinet · branch · rest · shower · rash · season · suit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — a subject
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. field — for sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — a division
  22. season — in sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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