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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lean — to bend
  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