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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — a company
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — decided
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to rest against

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