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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — size or range
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — a partner
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. race — a contest

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