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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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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: branch · lie · swing · lean · pitch · pit · spring · staff

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — a division

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