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

Word bank: nail · rule · lean · sharp · chest · bank · wound · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. sharp — with an edge

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