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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.

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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 · tear · fan · ground · mark · mate · branch · court

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — a position
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. branch — a division

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