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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — a measure
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — clever
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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