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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.

Words on the sheet
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: can · stick · roll · land · lie · branch · lean · vault

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — to recline
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. roll — a cake
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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