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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — a division
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. firm — a company
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lean — to bend
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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