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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 116 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: bay · chair · pound · branch · fan · leaves · object · bear

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — a division
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. branch — of a bank

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