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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — to push
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fall — the season

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