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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in biology
  5. craft — a skill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for golf
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. club — a group
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — thin
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — boats
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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