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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — for catching
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — in sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lean — thin
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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