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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — to fit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. file — a tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stem — of a plant

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