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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: chair · calf · foot · file · leaves · branch · content · bank

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a line of people
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. chair — a leader
  13. foot — a measure
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bank — for money
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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