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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — after costs
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — of ice
  23. roll — a list
  24. lie — to recline

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