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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. present — the time now
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — of a word
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — of law
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — there

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