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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: pitcher · craft · charge · cold · branch · lie · stand · leaves

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — a price
  5. cold — not warm
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. craft — a skill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. charge — electricity
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — lets stay

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