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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: chip · cabinet · lean · rush · bowl · spell · branch · stand

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. branch — a division
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a dish

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