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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: land · sharp · rest · lean · board · branch · staff · bat

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — to come down
  12. rest — a break
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — a committee
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — a division
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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