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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — to fit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spring — of water
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — of the year
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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