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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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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: snap · lean · racket · chair · firm · fork · dip · branch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. firm — steady
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — a leader
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to sink
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. snap — to click
  22. firm — decided
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. firm — a company

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