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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — for betting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — to shout
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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