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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — of the year
  24. ruler — a monarch

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