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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 124 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. field — farmland
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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