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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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 — to rest against
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a dance
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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