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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cell — a phone
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — in music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — thin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — for weighing

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