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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — for pool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. saw — the tool

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