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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. last — final
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — finally
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — to go on
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — to breed
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a song
  24. lean — thin

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