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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. race — humankind
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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