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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tube — the underground
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a trace
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — a container
  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