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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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