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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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