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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — to bear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rest — a break

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