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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — a coil
  8. firm — steady
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — the season
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spring — of water
  24. temple — side of the head

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