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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — thin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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