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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: firm · branch · lean · sharp · chair · foot · kick · wind

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — a company
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — in football
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — thin
  24. foot — part of the body

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