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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. object — a thing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. object — to protest
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. toast — bread
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — a group
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. club — for dancing

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