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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — before a funeral

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