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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — decided
  6. date — the fruit
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chest — a box
  24. prune — to trim

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