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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: rash · firm · leaves · content · kid · present · cabinet · branch

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kid — child
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — decided
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — there
  21. firm — a company
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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