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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. net — after costs
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — for a computer

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