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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stem — to come from
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. current — of water
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — thin
  14. court — for sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — for sculpting

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