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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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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: row · stick · leaves · ruler · branch · ground · lean · cell

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ground — the earth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in biology

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