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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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