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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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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 · wound · lean · drill · stock · rest · fine · firm

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — decided
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — a break
  12. lean — to bend
  13. firm — a company
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fine — high quality
  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