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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — for tennis

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