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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — in sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ground — a position
  23. kid — child
  24. leaves — lets stay

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