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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 116 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: wind · bound · branch · firm · perch · object · lash · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — a company
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lean — thin
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. branch — a division
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — certain
  23. firm — decided
  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