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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. object — an aim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — the month
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. lean — thin
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. field — farmland
  24. lie — to recline

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