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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lean — thin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. present — there
  15. spring — a coil
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spring — the season

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