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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — part of the head

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