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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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