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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stock — shares
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. press — to push
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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