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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — to come from
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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