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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — shares
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chair — a leader
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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