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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 120 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
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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: leaves · trunk · wave · bay · mate · spring · branch · fan

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spring — the season
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a friend
  24. branch — of a bank

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