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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — a company
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — steady
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to bend

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