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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — thin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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