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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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