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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · wound · bowl · mine · leaves · fall · rest · stock

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fall — the season
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stock — a soup base

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