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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bound — certain
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bound — tied together
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — money
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — thin

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