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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — thin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — to breed
  24. branch — of a bank

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