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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · bass · branch · saw · squash · chair · snap

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — to crush
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mine — for digging
  21. snap — to click
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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