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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. firm — a company
  15. cell — a phone
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — a division
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cell — in a prison

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