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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — thin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — electric

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