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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — thin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chair — to sit on

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