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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. branch — a division
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — a thing
  7. last — final
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — army training
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. object — to protest
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — an aim
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — finally
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — of a bank

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