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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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