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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. craft — boats
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — a line
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — to come from
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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