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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: wake · branch · bear · board · mate · saw · bay · leaves

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. mate — a partner
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — to breed

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