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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a face
  6. stock — goods
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kid — child
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — a box
  14. mug — to rob
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — to fit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — shares
  23. chest — of your body
  24. march — music

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