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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. club — a group
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fall — the season
  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