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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — thin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — a face
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — a group
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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