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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. dip — to sink
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — a division
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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