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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — thin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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