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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. last — final
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. roll — a list
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — ministers

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