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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a face
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — a box
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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