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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lean — thin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. spring — of water
  11. swing — music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — a subject
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — the season
  24. safe — out of danger

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