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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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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: branch · season · lie · lean · ruler · spring · racket · pop

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — soda
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pop — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — thin

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