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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. shower — rain
  8. chair — a leader
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stem — to come from
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. craft — boats
  21. key — the most important part
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — to sit on

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