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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · content · hide · present · leaves · branch · lean · last

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. roll — a list
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — happy
  9. last — to go on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — there
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — finally
  24. content — the amount

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