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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. game — a match
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — a tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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