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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rule — a law
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rule — government
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — a thing
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — a container
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — an aim
  24. lean — to bend

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