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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pop — soda
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a face
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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