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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. firm — decided
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — a group
  8. present — a gift
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — tied together
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bound — certain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — in football
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a tree

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