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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: leaves · cue · stand · dip · bound · date · bear · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. dip — to dunk

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