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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. hand — help
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — in cards
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a skill
  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