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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — farmland
  4. tube — a container
  5. field — a subject
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. field — for sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — a division
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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