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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: fall · fine · spell · chest · rush · branch · jam · lean

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spell — letters
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chest — a box
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — a division
  9. fall — the season
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fall — to drop

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