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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. file — a document
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — thin
  17. capital — money
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — bread

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