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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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