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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fall — the season
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — help
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — clothes

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