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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: saw · racket · lean · branch · nail · chair · fine · season

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lean — thin
  3. branch — a division
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — on a finger

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