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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: land · lean · bank · lie · leaves · branch · bat · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lean — thin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — a division
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bank — for money

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