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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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