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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: branch · tube · mouse · field · arm · lash · fine · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — a subject
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — a division

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