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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
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: leaves · branch · season · band · club · lie · stick · hide

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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