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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. scale — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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