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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — money
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. firm — steady
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — to come from
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. firm — decided
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — thin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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