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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. face — to confront
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — in music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lean — thin
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — to play on
  24. face — part of the head

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