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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. firm — a company
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — thin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — decided
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. firm — steady
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — a skill

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