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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — army training

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