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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · wake · leaves · mine · branch · bore · foot · club

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — to tire
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — a division
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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