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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. court — of law
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a music group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. court — of a king
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. band — a ring
  16. court — for sport
  17. firm — a company
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. firm — steady
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — of a plant

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