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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — help
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — soda
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — thin
  24. last — finally

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