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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · ground · lean · bear · net · chair · tear · branch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. branch — a division
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ground — crushed

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