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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — decided
  4. squash — the sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — a company
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lean — to bend
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. firm — steady
  18. bat — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kick — a thrill

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