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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — farmland
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. field — for sport
  18. lean — to bend

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