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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — for golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — thin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pass — a permit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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