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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — a position
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — child
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — thin

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