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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — for sport

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