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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — a phone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — thin
  11. branch — a division
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — steady
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — decided

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