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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rule — a law

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