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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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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: row · wound · branch · toast · firm · spring · fine · lean

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. firm — steady
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. row — a line
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lean — thin
  19. spring — of water
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — all right
  22. firm — a company
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — decided

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