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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — a division
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rule — government

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