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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. land — ground
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — to come down
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — a country
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — of a river

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