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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — an aim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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