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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · fall · net · vault · branch · track · lean · rule

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. net — for catching
  7. fall — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — government
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — a law
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — to rest against

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