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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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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: bank · sharp · lean · branch · pop · chair · hide · bay

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — soda
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lean — thin
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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