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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — a line
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. present — there
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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