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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — a permit
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. can — a tin
  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