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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — the vegetable

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