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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — for digging
  3. drill — army training
  4. band — a ring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. branch — a division
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — to bend

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