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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 120 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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — a path
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — thin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a song
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — for catching

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