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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. capital — a city
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. march — the month
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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