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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — thin
  24. branch — of a tree

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