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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — boats
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. shower — rain
  22. craft — a handicraft
  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