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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. firm — a company
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — a division
  8. hand — help
  9. plane — a tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. firm — steady
  24. content — the amount

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