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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lean — thin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. shower — rain
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — tied together
  22. shower — to wash
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — a trail

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