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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: lean · bass · face · leaves · roll · deal · can · branch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to confront
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bass — the fish
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — thin

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