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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — of water
  24. lash — to lash out

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