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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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 — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — the most important part
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bark — to shout

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