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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. field — a subject
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rock — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — a break

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