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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rush — hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. charge — a price
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — thin

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