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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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