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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bark — to shout
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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