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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.

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: march · branch · wake · capital · shower · safe · lash · leaves

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — a trail
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. lash — to lash out

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