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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · trunk · stick · arm · straw · stand · bulb · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — to bear
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lean — thin
  24. trunk — of a car

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