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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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