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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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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 · mark · leaves · ground · present · stick · wind · fall

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. present — there
  6. wind — moving air
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. present — the time now
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mark — a grade
  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