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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — a line
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — the season
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fall — to drop
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — a division
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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