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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · wake · craft · leaves · foot · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. foot — a measure
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. craft — boats
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pound — for dogs

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