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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — clever
  9. field — farmland
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pop — soda
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — magic
  24. safe — a strongbox

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