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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: mouse · mug · stand · bark · leaves · branch · fan · wake

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. leaves — of a tree

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