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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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