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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — a series
  20. race — humankind
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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