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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 116 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: cap · branch · present · firm · deal · tube · lean · ball

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — there
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — the time now
  24. branch — a division

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