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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. key — in music

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