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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. drill — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — a grade
  11. toast — bread
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — to come from
  15. drill — army training
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of a king
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. court — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — of law
  24. pop — soda

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