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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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 — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — thin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for dancing
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. club — for golf
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  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