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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. stock — goods
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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