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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — for betting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chip — to eat

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