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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. capital — a city
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. capital — money
  17. lean — thin
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. capital — a big letter

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