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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — a series
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — to bend
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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