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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — a division
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — the fruit

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