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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 116 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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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: branch · rest · calf · lean · root · key · mug · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — a break
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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