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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — the season
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — of the year
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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