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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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