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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a grade
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a trace

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