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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: stock · lean · branch · content · wound · key · track · calf

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — in music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — a path
  10. content — the amount
  11. branch — a division
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. content — happy
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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