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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: last · branch · lie · leaves · nail · foot · season · ball

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — finally
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a dance
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — a division

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