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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. drill — the tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — a division

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