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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: branch · leaves · foot · can · spell · fork · band · fan

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. spell — letters
  7. can — to be able to
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fork — in a road
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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