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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — the fish
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — a break
  13. object — to protest
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — an aim
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a car

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