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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 120 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: leaves · wake · bear · branch · court · wound · bay · club

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  24. bear — the animal

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