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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — to bend
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. object — a thing
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — an aim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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