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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · rest · can · rule · spell · branch · perch · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rule — government
  3. spell — magic
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rule — a law
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — letters
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rule — to rule out

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