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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — a division
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a bank
  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