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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — a thing
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — an aim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lean — to rest against

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