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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — thin
  10. chair — a leader
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. band — a music group
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — in music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — of the leg

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