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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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