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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: last · bowl · branch · foot · present · leaves · chair · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — the time now
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. present — there
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — a gift
  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