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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pass — a permit
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — in cards
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — help
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lean — thin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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