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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lean — to bend
  4. face — to point toward
  5. club — a group
  6. spell — a short time
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — magic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for golf
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to rest against

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