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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: staff · branch · pitch · rash · sharp · lean · bear · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — of a tree

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