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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — in golf
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — an aim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stem — to come from

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