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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — a hint
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. club — for golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — thin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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