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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: chest · leaves · jam · cell · season · suit · branch · lie

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — in cards
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. suit — clothes
  20. branch — a division
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — to fit

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