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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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 tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lean — to bend
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. file — a tool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. file — a document
  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