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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — a break
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — hurry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — a country
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — ground
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lean — to rest against

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