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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: craft · bay · object · leaves · fall · march · stick · branch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — the month
  22. object — to protest
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — 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