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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. lean — to bend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — to get on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rock — music

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