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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · court · bat · branch · lean · fall · net · bay

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. court — for sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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