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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spell — magic
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. calf — of the leg

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