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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 120 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: branch · firm · lean · can · hide · bear · march · sharp

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — steady
  4. march — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — a division
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — the animal

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