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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. present — the time now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — there
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — of water
  8. field — for sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spring — the season

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