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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · leaves · spell · chair · stand · branch · bear · land

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chair — a leader
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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