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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a city
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — the animal

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