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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — humankind
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lean — to bend

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