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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — a country
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. tube — a container
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — to come down
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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