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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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