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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 · lie · toast · lean · lash · staff · cold · object

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. toast — bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lie — to recline
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — a division
  24. cold — an illness

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