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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — thin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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