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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 120 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: branch · lean · foot · bound · band · fan · sharp · mug

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a face
  5. band — a music group
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — tied together
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — a division
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — of a bank

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