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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — thin
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  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