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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: lean · march · branch · arm · leaves · wave · can · fall

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. march — the month
  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