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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. clip — a video
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — an aim
  13. suit — in cards
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — to fit
  19. object — to protest
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — a thing

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