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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — to breed
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — in sport
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mate — a friend

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