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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — help
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pound — a weight

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