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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chair — a leader
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. court — of a king

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