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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lean — thin
  21. track — a path
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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