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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lean — thin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — a trail
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  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