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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spell — magic
  3. cap — a lid
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — thin
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. land — to come down
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — of ice
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. land — a country
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. coach — a trainer

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