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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — a thing
  4. mug — a face
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chest — a box
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. craft — a skill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mug — to rob
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — a cup

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