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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.

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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: branch · leaves · wave · sharp · stem · file · scale · current

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. sharp — clever
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. file — a tool
  10. current — electric
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. branch — a division
  15. stem — to come from
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. file — a document
  19. current — of water
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a line of people
  23. scale — in music
  24. leaves — to go away

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