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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — for sport
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pit — in a race
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bass — low music

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