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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cold — not warm
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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