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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. field — a subject
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. current — electric
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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