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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — a division
  9. roll — a list
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — on a roll

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