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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — to shout
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mouse — the 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