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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — steady
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. chest — a box
  24. firm — decided

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