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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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