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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: chest · field · arm · season · lean · branch · rock · pass

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. season — of the year
  12. field — farmland
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rock — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — to bend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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