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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. toast — bread
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. court — for sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — a stone

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