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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — to cool the air

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