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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rock — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. can — to be able to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — for a hammer

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