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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of law
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — of a king
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. current — electric
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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