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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. branch — a division
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mark — a trace
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — a measure

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