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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — boats
  3. lean — to bend
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  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