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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — in control
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — goods
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — a price
  22. stock — shares
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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