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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. march — music
  15. present — there
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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