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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — to come down
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lean — thin
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — a sauce

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