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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: wound · branch · lean · roll · saw · shower · cabinet · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. shower — rain

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