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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. firm — steady
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — a company
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — high quality
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to click
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a professorship

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