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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: sharp · scale · branch · ruler · wake · straw · face · lean

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — to confront
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — a division
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — a trail
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — for measuring

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