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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: leaves · pop · lash · file · branch · staff · court · stand

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. file — a document
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — to bear
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — of a tree

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