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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
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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 · tube · stand · lean · date · cap · branch · track

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — a path
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — thin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a song

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