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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — decided
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — steady
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kick — in football
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. race — humankind
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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