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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: nail · branch · foot · charge · lean · pop · pound · land

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — soda
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — electricity

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