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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a document

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