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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — of the year
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lean — to rest against

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