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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. branch — a division
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — the fish
  6. land — ground
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — low music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — for light

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