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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.

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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: branch · mug · craft · fork · lean · lie · pass · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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