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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bowl — a dish

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