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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: march · plane · chair · lean · rest · snap · rash · branch

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — a division
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chair — a leader
  24. march — the month

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