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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lean — thin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — the time now
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — there
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tube — the underground
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — a gift

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