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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to bend
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ground — a position

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