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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. degree — an amount
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. toast — bread
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a horse colour

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