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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — a gift
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. lean — to bend
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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