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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cue — a hint
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. spell — letters
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a music group
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — for pool
  24. band — a rubber band

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