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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. swing — in golf

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