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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: kid · band · leaves · object · foot · land · suit · branch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. land — ground
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. suit — in cards
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — a thing
  11. kid — child
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — an aim
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — a division
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. land — to come down
  24. band — a rubber band

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