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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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