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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cell — in biology
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — a company
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — decided

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