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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — a box
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — thin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — side of the head

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