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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: fan · board · chest · lean · suit · root · scale · branch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. branch — a division
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. root — the cause
  22. suit — clothes
  23. root — of a word
  24. chest — of your body

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