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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — the season
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — thin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — to rip

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