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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: lean · chest · stand · date · stick · face · lash · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — thin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chest — a box
  22. branch — a division
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — on your feet

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