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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: chair · stick · branch · drill · lean · net · bark · toast

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — bread
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lean — to rest against

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