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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lean — thin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — before a funeral

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