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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · toast · rock · spell · lean · game · file · branch

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. toast — bread
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. file — a document
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — letters
  18. file — a tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rock — music
  24. pound — a weight

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