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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. field — farmland
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stem — to come from

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