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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.

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: lash · track · march · leaves · branch · staff · chest · pass

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — a box
  3. march — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a song
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a path
  15. branch — a division
  16. chest — of your body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pass — to spend time

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